Position indicator



Feb. 21, 1933. w B LUCAS 1,898,550

POSITION INDICATOR Filed Dec. 3l, 1928 WML (BJI Lm lNvENToR BY ATTORNEYPatented Feb. 2l, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM BATES LUCAS,OF AEASTl ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T OTIS ELEVATOR n i OOMPAN Y, 0FNEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY PosrrroN INDICATORApplication led December 31, 1928. Serial No. 329,414.

The invention relates to indicators and particularly to positionindicators for eleva'- tor cars.

The intense service demanded of some elevator installations has made itadvisable in such cases to provide an indicator which is carried by theelevator car to indicate to the occupants thereof the position of thecar. Such indicators are particularly useful in i cars that operate athigh speeds, for the landings are passed at such a rate that it isdifficult, if not impossible, to read the floor numerals which arefrequently positioned on the Wall of the hatchway. In elevatorinstallations using closed cabs, that is, cabs in which the car openingsare closed by car doors of solid construction, it is impossible to seethe hatchway Wall or any numerals positioned thereon after the car'doors are closed. In such an installation it is therefore apparent thatposition indicators carried by the cars are practically indispensablefor the eicent handling of traic.

One feature of the invention is the provil sion of a position indicatorwhich is small and of compact construction, which is noiseless inoperation and which may be operated for a long period of time Withoutreplacement.

Another feature of the invention lies in the provision of anelevator'car position indica.-

tor which requires only a minimum of hatchwayv Wiring. i

Still another feature of the invention is to provide an elevator carposition indicator of the illuminated symbol type in which only one bulbis utilized to illuminate all the symbols.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription and appended claims.

Although the invention will be described,

by way of illustration, as applied to an indil cator carried by anelevator car, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable toan indicator which may be placed at any other point -in the elevatorsystem, as at a dispatchers panel, or at one or more of the variouslandings. For convenience, the indicator of the invention is illustratedas mounted in a vertical that it may as readily be mounted in ahorizontal position. This latter position may be position, but it isapparentk used When the indicator is mounted on the Figure 2 is avertical section thereof along the line 2-2 of Figure l, also with partsbroken away to show details thereof,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section thereof along the line 3 3 of Figure 1;and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a set of connections for arepeater motor to operate the elevator car position indicator.

According to the preferred arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 3 of thedrawing, a front plate 11, adapted to be fastened to the interior ofelevator car enclosure 12 by screws 13, is provided with an elongatedslot in which is secured an elongated lens stri 14 by clips 15. Paintedon or glued to or ot er- Wise affixed adjacent the rear surface of thelens are the outlines of the floor symbols or indications which are tobe successively displayed by the illumination of an elongated electriclight bulb 16. This bulb is mounted in a socket 17 which is sopositioned that 1 the axis of the bulb is parallel to the elongated slotand elongated lens strip 14. The socket 17 extends through an aperturein the bottom of the casing 18, and is secured in such position by meansof a cap 20, this cap being threaded to a sleeve 19 secured to the casinWith this construction, the-socket and bu `may be Withdrawn forinspection and replacement, The current for causing the illumination ofthe bulb is obtained through the cable 30 which is suitably connected tothe socket 17.

Positioned about the bulb 16 there is an outer cylindrical tube 2lsecured at one end to a plate 22 and provided with an elongated slot 23opposite the lens strip 14. lVithin outer tube 2l there is an innercylindrical tube 24 which is secured to a shaft 25 as by means of thethreaded engagement of one end of tube 24 with an enlarged portion 26 ofshaft 25. This shaft extends through a sleeve ico 27 formed in plate 22,and has secured to its outer end the large pinion 36. As suitablesurfaces are provided on the enlarged shaft Y portion 26 and on thepinion 36to engage the 5 and surfaces of the sleeve 27,Y a satisfactorybearing is provided for the moving parts of the indicator while it is ineither a vertical or a horizontal position. The plate 22 is suitablysecured at its corners to the casing 18 10 bymeans of the screws 29.

The inner cylindrical tubev 24 `extends'beyond the ends of the slot 23so that normally it prevents light from the bulb 16 from reaching orpassing through the slot 23 in the outer tube 2l, and as a consequence,from reaching or passing through lens strip 14. Y`The inner cylindricaltube 24 is provided with a series of'holes32, however, one'. for eachfloor, arranged helically about the tube, withvthe bot- *om holesubstantially level kwith the first floor indication on the lens strip,`with the top hole substantiallylevelA with the top floor n indication onthe lensV strip, and with the intermediate holes substantially levelwith the corresponding intermediate floor indicabottom holeto the tophole, are thus arranged progressively around the tube with equal angularspacingvbetween the radii of the tube Vwhich pass'through the centers ofthe various holes. This angular spacing is such that the entire seriesof holes does not completely eniV circle the tube. In this manner,vwhentube .24 is rotated `within theouter Vtube 21, theA holes 32 appearopposite lthe slot 23 individually',1and progressively upward ordownward, dependent upon the direction in whichv the tube is rotated.Thus light from bulb ylis permitted, by the shutter-like inner'cylindrical tube 24, to pass thro-ugh slot23 and through lens strip 14to illuminatethe` floor indication 'for one floor at a time, and tovconsecutively illuminate all the floor indications as the` inner tubeis rotated. p

Y Any suitable mechanical. orelectrical mechanism vmay be vemployed torotate the inner tube 24 and shaft 25 in raccordance with the -movementof the elevator car in the hatchway so that as the car comes oppositethevariousfloors the corresponding floor indi- `cations are illuminated.VItis to beinotedY that if a mechanical mechanism is employed whichoperates the indicator continuously in accordance with the'carino-vement, the holes 32 may be spaced at unequal angles about innertube 24 in order to compensate for varying floor heights in thebuilding.

l Y In the embodiment illustrated,` n tube 24 and the shaft25 arerotated by an tioned a soft iron armature] vThe energiza 6V5t1on ofthefieldl coilssuccessively about the rotates the armature.

tions on the lens strip. The holes, from theV the inner.

electrical repeater motordenoted generally' frame, eitherindividually'or in certain combinations of field coils, attracts andthereby The motor is for simplicity illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 onlygenerally and as enclosed within a casing whichl is secured to the frontplate l1 by means of the bracket 3l and as provided with terminals 28.In Figure 4, the motor is diagram'matically illustrated as having threefield coils,"-4l,v42 and 43 arranged to magnetically. .energize theirrespective arcuate pole faces. The motor armature, represented Y by thearrow 44, mounted upon a shaft'34, rotates within the circle outlined bythe pole faces. As may be seen'from the figure, there is acommonvconnection'between a terminal of each field coil, and there are separateleads 51', 52 and 53`from the other terminals ofthe respective eldcoilsto a commutating device 46 which is `rdescribed in more detaillater. y

The shaft for the rotatable armature of the repeater motor has extension34 to which is fastened the small pinion 35. This pinion meshes with thepinion 36 fastened'to shaft 25 so that thereis provided a reduction ofmotion from the motor armature to the inner tube 24.` The'sequence ofenergization of. Y the field ycoils is controlled by the commutat ingdevice 46 Voperating synchronously with the movements .of the elevatorcar so that as the car moves, the fields, or combinations of;

fields, are `successively energized in such man,-

ner to cause the armature 44 to be rotatedin steps, one step for eachfloor. Y The amount of rotation of the repeater motor armature foreachstep, the ratio of the reduction gearingl between thearmatureand'the innerk tube 24, and the angular spacing between theradii of the inner tube which pass through ythe center of the holes areso inter-related that each successivejrotary stepy of they armatureremoves one hole 32 from opposite slot 23 and brings the nextsucceedinghole 32 epposite the slot. Assuming that the armature is madeto rotate one step foreach floor traversed by the car, as isexplainedlater, the shutter-like tube 24 is rotated ,synchronously therewith andthereby permits illuminationV of the floor indications corresponding tothe position of the ca r as itvmovesup and down the-elevator hatchway. y

yAny suitable commutator mechanism operating synchronously with theelevator car may be used to control the Lsequence of energizationof thefield coils. vIn the diagram of connections illustrated inFigure4, thismechanism, generally denoted by 46, includes two rows of stationarycontacts 37 and 38 and two movable contacts 47 and 48 arranged to be`movedsynchronously with the elevator car. This mechanism maybe arrangedon a.

electrical energy 54 is connectedk across the terminals of the movablecontacts. The stationary contacts are elongated, as shown, andcorresponding contacts in the two rows are arranged in staggeredrelation. The top contact in row 37 is therefore smaller in size thanthe other contacts shown. The stationary contacts are connected to theleads 51, 52 and 53 in the manner illustrated in Figure 4 so that, asthe movable contacts are jointly lowered over the stationary contactsfrom the position of the movable contacts at the top, as shown, thesequence of energization of the field coils, in combination of twos, is41-42; 41-43; 42-43; 42-41; 43-41; 13h42; and 41-42. F' or simplicity,only contacts and connections thereto for seven Hoors have been shown,as after the sixth change the sequence repeats itself, as may be seenabove.

Since the movable contacts are moved at a reduced rate but in directproportion with the movements of the elevator car, floor nunierals areplaced beside the stationary contacts to indicate the positions of themovable contacts corresponding to the positions of the car whenapproximately level with the various floors. It is, therefore, apparentthat as the car travels past the floors, the motor is rotated insuccessive steps, and accordingly the indications for the various floorsopposite which the car travels are successively illuminated through lensstrip 14 and in accordance with the actual position of the car. In theposition of the parts as shown in all the figures, the car is positionedat the twelfth floor, the movable contacts are at the positioncorresponding thereto, and the shutter-like tube 24 is permitting, bymeans of the op hole 32, light from bulb 16 to pass through slot 23 andthrough lens strip 14 to illuminate the twelfth floor indication.

Attention is directed to the fact that bulb 14 may be a standard-ratingbulb and oper- `ited directly in arallel with the cab-illuminatinglights. T ie only separate position indicator leads from the elevatorcar, therefore, are the three leads 51, 52 and 53, irrespective of thenumber of floors for which he indicator may be operating. It is notnecessary, however, that only one bulb be used as the source ofillumination for the indicator. Any convenient number of suitablyarranged smaller bulbs, or, if desired, a gaseous discharge tube, may beused.

It is to be noted that an indicator of the above construction is silentin operation inasmuch as there are a minimum number of moving parts andas av repeater motor, which in itself is noiseless, is employed as themotive element.

If desired, the position indicator may be given any appropriate advance,depending on tie direction of motionof the car, as by actually advancingthe movable contacts in the desired directions.

In order to provide an automatic reset for the indicator mechanism, iffor any reason the repeater motor should get out of step with themovement of the car, mechanical stops for the inner' tube 24 or theshaft 25 may be provided at the upper and lower terminal-floorindicating positions. This is illustrated in Figure 2 in which outertube 21 has a shoulder 56 projecting downward from its lower edge and inwhich inner tube 24 has a lip 57 projecting downward and outward fromits lower edge. The shoulder 54 and lip 57 are positioned so that thelip abuts one side of the shoulder when in one terminal-floor indicatingposition, shown, and abuts the other side of the shoulder when in theother terminal-floor indicating position. To illustrate the operation ofthis automatic reset, assume that the car is descending and for somereason the indicator falls out of step with the car and indicates afloor or two in advance of the true car position. In such case, theindicator runs against the mechanical stop for the lower terminal floorwhen the car is still a floor or two above this lower terminal floor. Asthe indicator is unable to continue rotating in the directioncorresponding to down, the car catches up with the indicator so thatwhen the car is at the lower terminal floor, the position indicatorindicates the true position of the car. On the other hand, if the car isdescending and for some reason the indicator falls out of step with thecar and indicates a floor or two in rear of the true car position, theindicator and the car are brought into step by a similar cooperation ofthe shoulder 56 and lip 57 at the next approach of the car to the upperterminal floor.

Attention is directed to the fact that although the source of electricalenergy 54 is illustrated in Figure 4 as direct current, alternatingcurrent may be just as well used if desirable, as the armature, beingmade of soft iron, tends to align itself parallel to the lines ofmagnetic flux between two energized coils irrespective of the magneticpolarity of the field pole faces.

It is to be noted that the commutating device 46 illustrated is adaptedto properly energize the repeater motor fields for each successivefloor, irrespective of variations in the floor heights. This may beaccomplished by extending the stationary contacts 37 and 38 for a ioorwith an oversize floor height and by shortening-up the stationarycontacts 37 and 38 for a iioor with an undersize floor height. The sameresult may also be attained by utilizing a standard size for stationarycontacts 37 and 38 which is satisfactory for the minimum floor heights,and by increasing the spacing between adjacent sta- Vdisplayedindividually and Y tionary 4'contacts for floors with floor heights Ylarger than the minimui'n.`

lt is'to. be `further noted that, if desired, the indicator `and theassociated mechanisms may be arranged to operate with'two or morerotative steps ofthe repeater motor armature between each iioor, insteadof one as described above.A y Y i' A' As many changes could be made inthe above constructionl and many apparently widely different embodimentsof this invention could be made wit-hout departing from the scopethereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown `in the accompanying draining shall be interpretedasillustrative and not in a limiting sense. i

What isclaimed is l. A cai' position ,indicator yfor an' eleva- -tor carcomprising, a movable memberV having a plurality of indicating meanscorresponding to the various floors positioned thereon, means 'having aslot for displaying said indicating means,l said indicating means beingpositioned on said member along a line at an angle oblique to saidslot'so as to be y successively through said slot upon movement ot saidmember, and-means for causing movementof saidmember.,v

Q. Position indicator mechanism :tor an elevator car'comprising, arotatable memberwith a plurality of indicatinglmeans corresponding tovthe various car positions to be .indicated positioned lielicallythereon, display means having a slot cooperating with said rotatablemember to display said indicating means individually and successively atdifferent points in said slot upon rotative movement ot said rotatablemember, and means tor causing rotative movement of saidrrotatable memberin accordance with movement of said carto cause said display of: saidindicating means to correspond with the various car positions.

3. Aposition indicator for an elevator car comprising; ,a sourceofpillumination; an opaque plate; a plurality ot iioor symbols,displayableby the passage oi` light therethrough from said sourcearranged ina line upon said opaque plate, a member having a plurality ofapertures, corresponding respectivelyto said ioor symbols, arrangedA ina i line oblique to the line of said floor syinleols so that eachaperture controls the passage of light trom said sourcey through itscorresponding floor symbol, and means actuated in accordance withmovement of said car for causing relative movement i between v saidmember and the plate upon vwhich said symbols are mounted to eil'ect thepassage of light from said source through said symbols separately andconsecutively during travel koil thel car inv accordance with theposition of the car in the hatchway.

,4. A position indicator for an elevator car comprising,a plurality ofposition symbols arranged-in a line, a source'of'illuminationforilluminating Vsaid position symbols, a rotatable tubular shutterprovided with helically-arranged openings therein positioned betweensaid source of illumination and said position symbols, the asis ofsaid'rotatable tubular shutter being parallell to said'line of positionsymbols,and mechanism for rotating Ysaid Shutter ,in accordance with thecar movements to thereby illuminate the-,position symbols in-ac'cordancewith the car positions.v

. "5. In ange'lev'ator system; an elevator car;`

a position indicator for said car, said indicator comprising, apiuralityof position' symbols arrangedvin a line, a source ofilluminationadaptedto illuminate position symbols, a rotatable shutterprovided wit helically-arraneed 'openings therein corresponding to saidpositionsymbols, said rotatable shutter being positioned 'between saidsource of illuminationand said position symbols with the axis ofsaidsliutter parallel to said line of position symbols; and meansoperable in accordance with the position of the elevator car withrespect to the floors served thereby for rotating saidishutter topositions in accordance withthe positions of' the elevater car Vwithrespect to said'tloors to cause the illumination 'of said positionlsymbols viiiaccordance Vwith the car positions. f

6. In an elevator system; an elevator car; a source oi' current leadingto the car; a position indicator for said car, said indicatorcomprising, a strip having a plurality of position symbols thereon, anelectric lamp connected to said source for illuminating Vsaid positionsymbols, a tube surrounding said lamp and provided withhelically-arranged openings to individually and progressively illuminatesaid position symbols as said tube is rotated, the axis of said tubebeing parallel to said strip having the position symbols thereon; andmeans operable in accordance with the position of the elevator car withrespect to the floors served thereby-to' rotate ksaid tube to positionsin accordance with the positions oi. the elevator car with respect tosaid floors to cause the illumination of said position symbols inaccordance with the car positions. Y

7.111 an elevator system;V an elevator ,car Yserving a plurality offloors with variable distances therebetween ;l a ycar, positionindicator, said indicator comprising arotatable member `with a pluralityof equally-spaced indicating means thereon, one indicating means foreach ot saidviloors, display means cooperating with said rotatablemember for displaying said indicating means individually andsuccessively upon lrotation of said member yin equal amounts between thedisplay of successivev indicating means, and Y ice i io

iis

means for limiting the total rotation of said rotatable member to lessthan one complete revolution; a repeater motor; switching mechanism forenergizing the field coils of said repeater motor in a predeterminedcycle, successively, to cause unlimited rotation of the armature of saidrepeater motor in steps each of the same fractional portion of arevolution; reduction gearing connecting said armature of said repeatermotor with said rotatable member so that a given integral number ofsteps of rotation of said armature causes the rotation of said rotatablemember one of said equal amounts thereof between the display ofsuccessive indicating means; and means responsive tothe movement of saidelevator car with respect to the floors for actuating said switchingmechanism to effect the rotation of said repeater motor armature saidgiven integral number of steps for each floor traversed by said car,regardless of the variationsin distances between floors, so that saidindicating means are displayed in accordancewith the position of saidcar with respect to said floors.

8. A position indicating mechanism for an elevator car serving aplurality of oors with varia-ble distances therebetween, said indicatingmechanism comprising; a source of illumination; a plurality of Hoorsymbols, one for each of said floors, displayable by the passage oflight therethrough from said source, said lioor symbols being arrangedin a line; a rotatable member mounted with its axis of rotation parallelwith said line of floor symbols, said rotatable member having a.plurality of equally-spaced helically-positioned apertures thereincorresponding respectively to said floor symbols for controlling thepassage of light to said symbols from said source; means positionedbetween said member and said floor symbols having a slot arallel to saidline of floor symbols for conlrining the passage of light from saidsource through said apertures to the line of floor symbols; means forlimiting the total rotation of said rotatable member to less than onecomplete revolution; a repeater motor; switching mechanism forenergizing the field coils of said repeater motor in a predeterminedcycle, successively, to cause unlimited rotation of the armature of saidrepeater motor in steps each of the same fractional portion of arevolution; reduction gearing connecting said armature of said repeatermotor with said rotatable member so that a given integral number ofsteps of rotation of said armature causes the rotation of said rotatablemember the angular distance between adjacent apertures upon saidrotatable member; and means responsive to the movement of said elevatorcar with respect to the floors for actuating said switching mechanism toeffect the rotation of said repeater motor armature said given integralnumber of steps for each Hoor traversed by said car, regardless of thevariations in distances between floors, so that said floor symbols aredisplayed in accordance with the position of said car with respect tosaid floors.

9. A position indicator for an elevator car comprising; a source ofillumination; al plurality of floor symbols arranged in a line anddisplayable by the passage of light therethrough from said source; amember having a plurality of apertures corresponding respectively tosaid floor symbols and movable with respect thereto to control thepassage of light -to said symbols from said source, said apertures beingarranged in a line oblique to the line of said floor symbols so thateach aperture controls the passage of light to its corresponding floorsymbol; opaque means, positioned between said member and said ioorsymbols and having a slot therein parallel to the line of said floorsymbols, for restricting the passage of light from said source throughsaid apertures to said line of floor symbols; and means, actuated inaccordance with the position of said car in the hatchway, for movingsaid member and causing the passage of light from said source throughsaid symbols separately and consecutively in accordance with theposition of the carin the hatchway, thereby effecting the display ofeach floor symbol when the car is opposite the floor it represents.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM BATES LUCAS.

